A pair of ranked teams playing halfway across the globe highlights the first day of college basketball action. The West Virginia Mountaineers and Texas A&M Aggies will play in the Armed Forces Classic at the Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. The Armed Forces Classic has been a staple of the NCAA non-conference schedule since 2012 but the game has not been held in Ramstein since the inaugural event between UConn and Michigan State.
We have grown accustomed to seeing the vaunted “Press Virginia” defense from WVU but coach Bob Huggins has said he is going to pick and choose when to use the aggressive defense. Aside from graduating Nathan Adrian and Tarik Phillip, forward Esa Ahmad will serve a suspension for the first half of the season for not meeting NCAA requirements, which means the team is a little short-staffed. The Mountaineers will still have senior point guard Jevon Carter in the lineup; he averaged career highs in points, assists and rebounds last season while proving to be a defensive menace.
Texas A&M enters the season with high expectations – again – as the team returns its top five scorers from last season. Of course, the biggest name is Robert Williams, who spurned the NBA – despite being a likely lottery pick – to return to College Sportsbook. The frontcourt trio of Williams, Tyler Davis and DJ Hogg has a chance to be the most prolific in the SEC this season.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
College basketball betting oddsmakers at Sportsbook opened the West Virginia Mountaineers as 7.5-point favorites in this matchup. Check for the latest spread and OVER/UNDER total line at sportsbooks such as Sportsbook.
Texas A&M Aggies vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The West Virginia Mountaineers sported an overall record of 28-9 last year in NCAA basketball action, and posted a corresponding betting slate of 16-16-2 ATS. The Texas A&M Aggies were 16-15 and 12-17 ATS. Betting totals saw the Mountaineers produce a 19-15 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Aggies went 13-15-1 against the totals betting line.
This game puts the Mountaineers, most recently No. 39 in the OddsShark power rankings, up against the Aggies, who rate No. 176 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Rebounding is always a key handicapping betting consideration and Texas A&M was ranked No. 30 in NCAA basketball at 38.61 per game last season. Contrast that with West Virginia's No. 68 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, West Virginia was the No. 131-ranked team in the country at 7.43 per game, while Texas A&M rated No. 227 at 6.1 per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Aggies were hammered by Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament, losing by a 66-41 final at Bridgestone Arena in college basketball betting action.
West Virginia suffered a 61-58 loss against Gonzaga in the NCAA Sweet 16, getting 21 points from Jevon Carter in a losing effort at SAP Center.
Next Betting Matchups
Texas A&M home to UC-Santa Barbara, Friday, November 17
West Virginia at American, Wednesday, November 15